By Fr. Gerald Omunyin, CECC
The Archdiocese of Kisumu is preparing to celebrate a historic milestone, marking 100 years of Catholic faith in the region.
The Jubilee will be celebrated on October 10, 2025, commemorating a century since the creation of the Prefecture Apostolic of Kavirondo in 1925, which later grew into the Diocese of Kisumu and was elevated to an Archdiocese in 1990.
Metropolitan Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, who is also the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has described the centenary as a moment of renewal and reflection. He emphasized that the Jubilee is not only a time to look back but also an opportunity to consider the legacy the faithful will leave for the next century. “We are called to be the salt of the earth, shaping society through the values of the Gospel,” he said.
The celebrations will be a moment of pride and a call to responsibility, honoring the sacrifices of missionaries and local communities while challenging today’s faithful to deepen their engagement with the Church and society.
The Archdiocese traces its roots back to 1903, when Mill Hill missionaries journeyed from Mombasa through Uganda to western Kenya. On December 2, 1925, Bishop Gorgonius Brandsma, MHM, was appointed Prefect of the Prefecture Apostolic of Kavirondo, later becoming Vicar Apostolic of Kisumu in 1933.
Subsequent church leaders included Rt. Rev. Nicholas Stan, MHM (1936–1948), Rt. Rev. Fredrick Hall, MHM (1948–1964), and Archbishop Emeritus Zacchaeus Okoth, who became Kisumu’s first Archbishop in 1990. Most Rev. Maurice Muhatia Makumba currently serves as the third Archbishop of Kisumu.
Over the decades, the Archdiocese has expanded significantly, now encompassing eight suffragan dioceses: Bungoma, Eldoret, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kapsabet, Kisii, Kitale, and Lodwar. It oversees a robust network of social services, including 320 hospitals and dispensaries, 250 secondary schools, 1,020 primary schools, 15 polytechnics, 36 parishes, 20 special education centers, and 42 religious houses, serving a population of approximately 18 million.
The Centenary Jubilee promises to be a moment of reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment, as Kisumu’s Catholics look back on a century of faith while charting a path for the Church’s future in western Kenya.
